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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · club · press · shower · nail · rash · mate · mine

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — rain
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a friend
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. root — of a word
  15. mate — a partner
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — a group
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. shower — to wash
  22. press — to push
  23. root — the cause
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com